‘Humanitarian Pauses’ for Polio Vaccinations in Gaza

Israel, Hamas Agree to ‘Humanitarian Pauses’ for Polio Vaccinations in Gaza, WHO Says“I’m not going to say this is the ideal way forward, but this is a workable way forward,” said Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, of the global body.WHO says
he World Health Organization announced that Israel and Hamas have given a “preliminary commitment” to conduct “humanitarian pauses” to allow the global body to begin a polio vaccination campaign, starting this Sunday, in the Gaza Strip.
Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO representative in the Palestinian-controlled territories, told reporters on Thursday that the organization will spend three days each in the central, southern and northern parts of the Strip in an attempt to vaccinate at least 90% of the population, particularly children.
That rate, which Peeperkorn said is required to stem a potential outbreak of the disease—once among the most feared in the United States—is achievable, he said. He acknowledged the challenges, including a breakdown of infrastructure and safety in Gaza.
The first confirmed case of polio in a quarter century was a 10-month-old baby in Gaza born just before Hamas’s terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7. Children in the coastal enclave were largely vaccinated before the war, but hundreds of thousands have missed vaccinations since, according to the WHO.
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